1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for providing a user interface, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for providing a three-dimensional user interface in an electronic device, such that a content item may be easily arranged in a three-dimensional space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices provide various functions such as, for example, a music reproducing function, a message transmission and receiving function, a digital broadcast receiving function, a short range wireless communication function, and an Internet access function. Particularly, an electronic device may employ a touch screen in order to provide a slimmer profile and facilitate an input action. The electronic device, which employs the touch screen, displays a plurality of images representing content (hereinafter, “content item”) on a screen (e.g., a home screen or a menu screen). The electronic device provides a screen-editing mode in which a user can freely change a position of content items. The electronic device provides a three-dimensional image output function to output an image in a three-dimensional manner. Specifically, the electronic device can provide a solid, realistic three-dimensional screen by adding spatial information (Z axis) to two-dimensional information of a horizontal line (X axis) and a vertical line (Y axis). Because the screen is provided in the three-dimensional manner, a user of the electronic device may experience difficulty in manipulating a content item (e.g., rearrangement). For example, in a conventional electronic device, content items are placed freely on a three-dimensional space such that a content item arrangement screen looks visually complicated. In addition, in the conventional electronic device, the user may have difficulty in recognizing a space occupied by the content item. Accordingly, when the content item is moved to a different location, interference (or collision) with another content item may be difficult to identify. The above-described problem becomes more serious when the content items have an irregular shape and when the shape or orientation of the content items is varied depending on a certain condition.